How to Turn a Compost Pile

About this Author

Tia Pinney

Video Transcript

All right, you have your compost bin, you've started your compost. One of the big things that people always talk about is how can I turn my compost. How often do I have to turn my compost? These are all questions that really have no answer but you do want to try to turn it every once in a while. If you have been adding your material in a fashion where you have wet organic and dry organic and some finished compost, turning it will not be as much of an issue. So the way you build your compost pile is as important as how often or how your turn it. There is some very fancy aerator that you can buy that twist their way into the pile and all those things. Basically turning it is a means of bringing oxygen. One of the reasons to turn is that the finished compost will be at the bottom because obviously you have been adding to the top. But if you go back to your garden fork, you can just come in and spread material around. All you are trying to do is make sure that you have a variety of material and that you have spread it around so that everything will be getting some oxygen. Oxygen and variety are the two big things for a compost pile. If your compost pile starts to smell, it is because it doesn't have any oxygen and then you definitely need to turn it and add some raw material. Leaves, straw, anything that will help dry it out and keep it from rotting. If it doesn't have enough oxygen, it doesn't decompose. It rots and that is when you get the smell. If you build it right, you won't have any smell and you will have beautiful compost within three to six months.